[Calcium polycarbophil in clinical practice. The therapy of constipation]

The clinical efficacy of polycarbophil calcium was assessed in 57 patients of both sexes aged between 18 and 77 years old affected by chronic non-organic constipation. The multicentre study was performed using a single blind and cross-over protocol for 8 weeks, 4 with placebo and 4 with the drug (2 c.p.s 3 t.i.d). Thirteen patients failed to complete the study, 8 of them for reasons not related to the drug. In comparison to placebo, the drug caused a significant reduction in the consistency of stool and evacuatory force during the first week of stool therapy. Medical judgement was that efficacy was "very good" in 73% and "good" in 18%, whereas the drug was thought to be "non efficacious" in 9% of cases. The statistical analysis of data confirmed the efficacy of the drug. The hematochemical parameters evaluated before, during and after treatment only showed a slight increase in calcemia and calciuria which did not reach statistical significance. The therapeutic efficacy and lack of undesired effects confirm the value of polycarbophyl calcium in the treatment of chronic constipation

Melusin modulates fatty acids β-oxidation and ROS production in the heart

Background: Melusin is a small-chaperone protein selectively expressed in the heart and skeletal muscles. In the heart, melusin plays a protective role in different pathologic conditions. Indeed, previous experiments in several pre-clinical models indicated that melusin overexpression prevents cardiac dilation and fibrotic tissue deposition, cardiomyocytes apoptosis and sustains a compensatory hypertrophic response with retained contractile function

Phosphoinositide 3-kinase p110beta activity : key role in metabolism and mammary gland cancer but not development

The phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway crucially controls metabolism and cell growth. Although different PI3K catalytic subunits are known to play distinct roles, the specific in vivo function of p110beta (the product of the PIK3CB gene) is not clear. Here, we show that mouse mutants expressing a catalytically inactive PIK3CB(K805R) mutant survived to adulthood but showed growth retardation and developed mild insulin resistance with age. Pharmacological and genetic analyses of p110beta function revealed that p110beta catalytic activity is required for PI3K signaling downstream of heterotrimeric guanine nucleotide-binding protein (G protein)-coupled receptors as well as to sustain long-term insulin signaling. In addition, PIK3CB(K805R) mice were protected in a model of ERBB2-driven tumor development. These findings indicate an unexpected role for p110beta catalytic activity in diabetes and cancer, opening potential avenues for therapeutic intervention